US to lease land from Kazakhstan for 49 years: law signed

Tengrinews.kz – President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a law ratifying an agreement with the United States on leasing a plot of land for the construction of a U.S. consulate in Almaty, according to Akorda.

“The Head of State has signed the law of the Republic of Kazakhstan ‘On the Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the United States of America’ on granting the U.S. government a land lease for the construction of premises for a U.S. consular facility in the city of Almaty,” the Akorda statement said.

Additionally, Akorda reported that Tokayev also signed the law “On the Ratification of the Protocol on Amendments to the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Secretariat of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) on the Conditions of the Secretariat’s Presence in the Republic of Kazakhstan dated June 26, 2007.”

This document was approved by the Senate on May 8. The ratification aims to transform CICA into a fully-fledged international organization and strengthen the legal status of its Secretariat, including privileges and immunities for its staff.

Agreement terms

The United States will lease a land plot in Almaty of approximately seven hectares (70,593 square meters) for a period of 49 years to build a new consulate building. The U.S. will pay $25.3 million in a single payment within 30 days after the agreement enters into force.

Under the agreement, the U.S. will not pay taxes or customs duties. All expenses related to construction, maintenance, repairs, and utilities will be covered by the U.S.

In addition to the consulate, the site is expected to house offices of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the U.S. Commercial Service.

According to the authors of the law, the new consulate will become the largest visa center in Central Asia. This is expected to improve Kazakhstan’s international image, attract investment, create jobs, and support the development of business and service sectors.

Once the agreement is officially finalized, it will strengthen trust with international partners and enhance U.S.-Kazakhstan relations.

First Deputy Foreign Minister Akan Rakhmetullin explained that staff of the current consulate in Almaty will move to the new building once it is completed.

“Currently, the U.S. consulate occupies two privately leased buildings in Almaty. Naturally, once the new consulate is built and opened, all staff will relocate there. As for plans to expand staff, I’m not aware of any, but given that the new facility will have a full range of infrastructure, some expansion can be expected. However, that’s not certain — it will depend on discussions with the American side,” said the deputy minister in the Senate.

Once the President signs the ratified agreement, the city administration and the U.S. consulate will sign an additional agreement, and construction of the new building will begin. According to Rakhmetullin, a U.S. developer will handle the project.